Listen: The State of Landscape Architecture

We are celebrating Landscape Architecture month with a roundtable discussion joined by three of B&L’s landscape architects: Keith Ewald, senior managing landscape architect; Olivia Mallon, senior project landscape architect; and Emily DeWindt, assistant landscape architect.

Since B&L is a full service consulting firm for private and public clients, there’s a level of importance in having landscape architects involved in projects. Can you talk more about why this is?

Olivia: “Yes. I believe it’s important to have landscape architects involved in projects from the beginning, from concept design through construction. The insight and knowledge that landscape architects bring to projects really encompasses many facets and often helps bridge gaps between disciplines, ideas and people. We look at projects holistically with the goal of improving public health, promoting social interaction, and really enhancing the overall quality of life.”

Emily: “Landscape architects have multifaceted skills to be the necessary tie between environmental, social and creative design. At B&L, we often find ourselves working across disciplines. We have the ability to steer projects from start to end with involvement in project kick offs, public engagement, concept design, visual realization and renderings. And then all the way through construction, documentation and construction oversight. We’re able to address today’s most pressing challenges and integrate creative solutions into planning or design for communities and spaces which end up being equally as functional and sustainable as they are beautiful.”

Can you talk on why and how important it is that landscape architects are involved in projects here at B&L?

Keith: “Sure. I think landscape architects play a crucial role in a full service firm, like B&L. LAs strive to design projects that reduce the environmental impact. Creating green spaces for example, selecting native plant species, using sustainable materials, cultural and aesthetic impact, of course, considering the cultural context, history, character of project locations when designing outdoor spaces or public corridors and ensuring that they are harmonious with their surroundings. Particularly for our public clients. This could be crucial, as they tend to aim to create inclusive spaces that reflect community values and identity. Our best projects are those that have a collaborative approach to them with our engineers and environmental scientists, urban planners, working alongside each other with that collaborative approach ensures that the various aspects of an individual project, such as infrastructure, design, sustainability, etc., come together cohesively.”

Can you please discuss important facets of landscape architecture that contributed to a recent project you worked on?

Olivia: “Chancellor Park is one of the parks we worked on last year. It’s a three-and-a-half-acre historic park in the city of Utica. B&L completed the construction phase services for this park and site improvements in October of 2024, and the redesign of this existing historic park was really to make the park more accessible and enjoyable for people of all ages and to meet the needs of the surrounding community. So these site improvements, highlighted these components by incorporating a new interactive fountain and splash pad. Existing tennis courts were converted to pickleball courts. There were also regulation bocce courts incorporated, new pedestrian walkways and seating, lighting, a new pavilion structure for shade, and then some landscape improvements. They are trying to create more vibrant park spaces and to get people outside, as well as get input from the surrounding community in order to develop this site. And so far, it’s been a success.”

Could you speak to any features or accomplishments achieved at a recent project?

Emily: “The Adams Community Park playground was constructed and completed in late summer of 2024. This community had a huge need for a play space because the one that they currently had was no longer safe for use, so they were looking to develop something new. Their community had a playground committee, which worked diligently with grant funding and fundraising to make this happen. The project contains a new playground, with site furnishings and accessible walking paths. Landscape architects assisted from the beginning with the grant funding process all the way through the end to construction and documentation and construction admin. We assisted with public engagement, and that included concept plan development and plan renderings. Assisting and also showing up to fundraising efforts and then also working with the playground committee and playground manufacturers to select appropriate equipment that was accessible and also fit the theme of Adams, New York, which is adjacent to the Adirondacks. The landscape architects assisted with planting design. So proper selection of plant materials in relation to the site programing and the environmental context. Selecting all of the site furnishing, which included park entrance signs, picnic tables, benches and Adirondack style chairs. And laying out the walking path that goes all the way around the playground as well that meets accessibility needs. Landscape architects also participated in the final construction punch list Walk through. What was constructed was just phase one for the entire park, so we’re looking forward to participating in more grant funding processes and hopefully moving into phase two, which would feature an extended walking path and also a pavilion for gathering.”

Keith: “A project I really enjoyed that was fairly complex was the Fulton Pathfinder Canal Towpath Trail and Green Infrastructure Improvement Project. This project involved taking essentially an old, extremely underutilized parking lot that saw a lot of vandalism. It was in extreme disrepair from the condition of the asphalt to graffiti on the bridge abutments. The city retained us to come in and develop a plan for retrofitting the parking lot into a year round public space that the city could use, for various events. Being located along the waterfront of the historic Oswego River, in the canal system in the city of Fulton. We incorporated green infrastructure improvements, improving ADA accessibility, creating a new vibrant and functional multiuse space. The idea being, the project having a lasting impact on the overall water quality of the river and also creating an inviting waterfront gateway that plays a greater role in the overall revitalization and the city’s efforts, through their DRI funding and programs moving forward.”

Can you touch on the trends and driving factors that are impacting landscape architecture projects currently?

Olivia: “Yes. Climate action is an increasingly important trend we’ve seen driving numerous LA projects. Nationally, LAs are focusing on climate positive approaches to design and helping empower communities by increasing biodiversity, advancing sustainability, and improving the resiliency of livable cities and communities. LAs are incorporating this trend into designs by creating solutions that help reduce emissions and promote nature based solutions that really work with existing natural systems, incorporating green infrastructure and streetscape projects, and along parking lots, and creating walkable, often transit-oriented landscapes.”

Emily: “One major driving factor that’s impacting LA projects currently is universal design within our projects. So a universal design is to design and build inclusive spaces for people of all abilities. This means that regardless of age or ability, everyone’s able to access and participate in public life. And these design standards often go above and beyond the minimum accessibility standards. So this can show up in a multitude of design decisions that landscape architects are often making and can include: legible multisensory signage and signals that pass color contrast ratios and contain tactile elements, the delineation of places of movement versus rest through different materials and colors, selecting site furnishings with armrests, backrest, certain height adjustments that offer support and ease of use, widening sidewalks and bike lanes to create a landscape that is easier to navigate and is traversable. And universal landscapes are ones that will also last, so implementing ecological principles or green infrastructure practices, to assist in sustainability and resiliency. And overall, universal design creates a landscape that everyone ends up at and benefiting from. It’s one that is accessible, usable, convenient, and enjoyable to use.”

Could you please conclude with your thoughts on trends and driving factors that are impacting landscape architecture projects?

Keith: “Landscape architecture is a rapidly evolving discipline driven by various trends and factors that reflect societal changes, environmental concerns, advancements in technology, and so on. Sustainability and climate change adaptation, urbanization, and the increasing need for public space is a trend that we’re hearing a lot from our clients, particularly our more urban clients. Reclaiming spaces, the adaptive reuse of existing infrastructure – repurposing, for example, old rail beds, former industrial sites, into public spaces or mixed use spaces where LAs, and engineers, our environmental folks, all have a hand. And all of that mixed use development, again, is another example of getting a little creative with the urbanization and need for more creative and public space. Health and wellbeing, active transportation, has been a thing that we’ve been getting involved in more and more over the years. Healthy lifestyles, and social equity, and inclusivity, I think is another emerging trend that we’re seeing more often than we have in the past. There’s a growing emphasis on creating public spaces that are accessible to all, regardless of income, age, physical ability. And community involvement is another trend that LAs are constantly getting more and more involved with – community engagement becoming a key part of the design process. Generally, as these trends indicate, the role of landscape architecture is evolving to meet the demands of the changing world around us, balancing environmental sustainability, and even technological advancements like AI and use of our drone technology and things like that.”

It is clear that landscape architecture is about so much more than just designing outdoor spaces. It’s about creating environments that connect people’s nature and improve communities.

Learn about B&L’s Landcape Architecture services.